Transportation vehicles, for example, aircraft, trains, buses, recreation vehicle, boats and other similar vehicles use various computing devices for providing various functions, including entertainment, system control, content storage, and other functions. These computing devices include hardware (for example, servers, switches, network interface cards, storage adapters, storage devices and others) and software (for example, server applications, operating systems, firmware, management applications, application programming interface (APIs) and others).
Transportation vehicles today have individualized functional equipment dedicated to a particular passenger seat, which can be utilized by the passenger, such as adjustable seats, adjustable environmental controls, adjustable lighting, telephony systems, video and/or audio entertainment systems, crew communication systems, and the like. Many commercial airplanes today have individualized video and audio entertainment systems, often referred to as “inflight entertainment” or “IFE” systems. Such systems may also be referred to as “inflight entertainment and communication” systems as well, and typically abbreviated as “IFEC” systems.
As one example of a passenger seat function, the entertainment systems for passenger carrier vehicles, such as commercial airlines, often have video displays installed at each passenger seat. For instance, video displays may be provided at each passenger seat, such as mounted at each of the seats of the passenger seats, and/or on cabin walls and/or deployable from an armrest for seats located at a bulkhead, i.e., in the first row of a section. The video displays may also provide access to games, communication applications (e.g., telephone service, messaging, etc.), Internet browsing, and other computer applications. Sometimes such displays are referred to as smart monitors due to the ability to provide computer applications and process and store data internally.
To operate the seat functions, such as an individualized audio/video system, controls are provided on or near the passenger seat that allow the passenger to control the seat functions. The controls may be physical buttons, or on-screen interfaces displayed, for instance, on the video display of the entertainment system. For example, some commercial airplane entertainment systems have on-screen interfaces for controlling a reading light, activating a crew member call signal, as well as controlling the audio/video entertainment.
It has become quite commonplace for travelers to carry personal electronic devices having wireless communication capability, such as cellular phones, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and other portable electronic devices. This includes passengers traveling on all types of transportation including the vehicles of common carriers, such as airplanes, passenger trains, buses, cruise ships, sightseeing vehicles (e.g., ships, boats, buses, cars, etc.). Many of these personal electronic devices have the capability to execute application software programs (“apps”) to perform various functions, including controlling other devices and systems.
Virtual reality typically refers to computer technologies that use software to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate a real environment (or create an imaginary setting), and simulate a user physical presence in the environment, by enabling the user to interact with this space and any objects depicted therein using specialized display screens. VR is thus a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body or as an immersive, interactive experience generated a computer. A person using virtual reality equipment is typically able to “look around” the artificial world, move about in it and interact with features or items that are depicted within a display, for example, VR goggles.
Conventionally, VR goggles on transportation vehicles may be handed to the passengers or may be coupled to a head rest of a seat. Both options are undesirable because logistically handing out VR goggles, for example, on an aircraft for every flight can be laborious and burdensome. To use a VR goggle with a head rest of a seat may not be comfortable for a passenger depending on a passenger's height and weight because it requires the passenger to maintain a posture that may not be comfortable, especially for extended periods of time. Efforts are being made to enable a more satisfactory VR experience on transportation vehicles.